Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Bus Fire Near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Railway Station, 25 Evacuated
A city bus began filling with smoke near the railway station.
There were 25 passengers inside.
The driver and conductor quickly helped everyone leave through the back door.
Firefighters arrived and stopped the fire within minutes.
A municipal official said a short circuit caused the small fire.
Part of the engine and wiring were damaged.
The bus is expected to return after repairs in two days.
Some sources said poor maintenance might be causing similar problems.
A city bus caught fire near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway station on Thursday morning.
All 25 passengers were safely evacuated after smoke emerged from the engine.
The Padampura main fire station team brought the blaze under control within minutes.
A CSMC official attributed the incident to a minor engine short circuit and said repairs would take two days.
Sources alleged that inadequate maintenance of buses may have contributed to the incident.
- Who
- Twenty-five passengers, the bus driver and conductor, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, and firefighters from the Padampura main fire station were involved.
- What
- A city bus caught fire after smoke began billowing from its engine; all passengers were evacuated safely.
- When
- Thursday morning; the bus was expected to return to service within two days after repairs.
- Where
- Near the railway station in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, after arriving from Bidkin and before departing for Phulambri.
- Why
- The CSMC Mechanical Department said a short circuit in the engine caused the fire, while sources alleged inadequate maintenance may have contributed.
Maintenance Concerns
Official Cause Assessment
Reason for the fire
Maintenance Concerns
Sources alleged that regular maintenance and repairs had not been carried out since the buses were transferred from the Smart City project to the municipal corporation, and that inadequate maintenance may be contributing to such incidents.
Official Cause Assessment
Amol Kulkarni, executive engineer of the CSMC Mechanical Department, said the fire was minor and caused by a short circuit in the engine.
Condition of the bus service
Maintenance Concerns
The incident, along with a previous bus fire in 2022, was cited as raising concerns about the maintenance of CSMC-operated buses.
Official Cause Assessment
The CSMC official said the damaged bus would return to the road within two days after necessary repairs.
- Passengers evacuated
- 25 passengers were safely evacuated.
- Bus number
- MH 20-EL-1914
- Origin and destination
- The bus arrived from Bidkin and was scheduled to leave for Phulambri.
- Fire cause
- A CSMC official said the fire was caused by an engine short circuit.
- Damage and repairs
- Part of the engine and wiring were burnt; repairs were expected to take two days.
- Bus service scale
- Around 75 buses operate daily, carrying 15,000 to 18,000 passengers from 5am to 11pm.
- Previous incident
- A city bus was completely gutted by fire at Bidkin in 2022.